Events

On October 7th-8th, the thirty-one floats of Handa City will be pulled through town and displayed in a festival that happens only once every five years. Each region of the city maintains its own unique float, with colorful carvings, embroidery, dancing karakuri wooden dolls, and unique customs, costumes, and music. Last year, several of the floats were recognized as UNESCO world cultural heritage, and this year’s festival is expected to be the most exciting yet.

In spite of this recognition, however, the festival is still a local event at heart, with each community closely guarding its own traditions, and fierce rivalry between the different groups. In the spirit of participation and hands-on cultural exchange, JFF has arranged a rare opportunity to participate in the parade and enjoy an English language tour of the festival. Visit the local Kunizakari sake brewery, tour the historic riverside district, and, best of all, join one of the teams in pulling a traditional “dashi” float through part of the city. Numbers are limited, so please contact JFF directly to arrange a reservation at japanfolkfestival@jffjff.com or 052-413-8200.

This weekend, explore a variety of foods, music, dance, crafts, and more from around the country in Hisaya Odori park! Nagoya is home to residents from a wide variety of foreign countries, but also to a lot of Japanese transplants. The “Furusato Kenminjinkai Matsuri” is a chance for them to gather and celebrate the amazing traditions that make their home region unique. Booths representing almost every prefecture can be enjoyed in between dance and musical performances.

Congratulations to our friends at Handa’s D.D.M. company for their victory in the Domannaka Yosakoi Festival Junior Division! They were also featured on this week’s episode of Oja-Map, featuring Shingo Katori from SMAP. We’re looking forward to more great performances from Nagata-sensei and her students in the future.

Enjoy an evening of Owara-style dancing, from Toyama prefecture, at the beautiful Higashi Betsuin temple in Nagoya! Owara is a style of Bon dancing that is performed flowing through the streets, while thousands of paper lanterns decorate the doorways of local shops and houses. The members of Nagoya’s local folk dancing research collective, Kasuri no Kai, traveled to Toyama to learn the steps of this thoughtful, plaintive dance accompanied by shamisen, kokyu, and folk song.

On September 10th, Spanish-based guitar performer and professor Takagi Masayuki will be in Nagoya as part of his “The Art of the Guitar” tour. As part of a 3:00 PM afternoon concert, he will perform a number of contemporary works by composers from around the world, including Antonio Lauro’s Five Venezuelan Waltzes, Alexandre Tansman’s Cantina, and Frederico Moreno Torroba’s captivating Sonatina.